Choose living room furniture to fit your lifestyle
Picking the right living room furniture can feel overwhelming. With so many options available, how do you choose pieces that work for your space and daily life? Two furniture experts share their top tips for making smart choices that balance comfort, style and function.
When shopping for living room furniture, comfort should be your top priority, said Robin Abel, owner of The Perfect Piece Home Furnishings.
“Ultimately, comfort is the most important factor for most of the pieces of furniture that we buy,” Abel said. She learned this lesson firsthand when she bought a sofa she loved. “At 5'5, I loved it,” she added. “But it was too short for my 6'1" husband.”
Abel recommends that everyone in a household test furniture before buying. Sit on sofas and chairs to make sure they work for people of different heights and body types.
Your furniture choices should also match how you live, not just how they look in a design magazine. “A well-balanced living room is not as matchy as a design book would show,” Abel said. Instead, think about how you use your space. “Do you like to lounge? You might want bigger pieces. Have a lot of guests over? You'll need more chairs to sit on.”
Interior designer Molly Lucas agreed that versatility is key. She noted that living rooms are becoming more versatile and personality-driven. Homeowners are moving away from fully neutral spaces in favor of rooms that reflect their personalities.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is choosing furniture that's the wrong size for their space. “People either buy pieces that are too large or too small. It's like the three bears and the porridge situation. It needs to be just right and it's hard to get it right sometimes,” Lucas said. “Scale is everything. If you walk into a space and feel off and don't know why, it's likely scale playing a huge part.”
For smaller spaces, Abel recommends measuring your furniture and room before making purchases. “When you look at furniture, it doesn't necessarily look the same once you have it in your home,” she said. There's a movement away from oversized, overstuffed pieces toward furniture that fits better in smaller homes.
Storage has become essential in today's living rooms. Abel said many customers want end tables with drawers or shelves “so they have a place to hide their things.” The good news is you don't need huge pieces to get storage. “You don't need a gigantic coffee table to get decent storage. Most manufacturers are doing a decent job of providing adequate storage in smaller pieces,” Abel said.
Storage doesn't always mean hiding everything. “You can also get furniture that contains the mess without hiding it. An example is a basket that holds fuzzy blankets. You can still see them, but they look organized,” Abel said.
If you have a small living room, every piece needs to earn its place. “A smaller footprint doesn't mean people have to sacrifice style. It just means every piece has to pull double duty,” Lucas said. She recommends looking for multipurpose pieces like ottomans that work as footrests, extra seating and storage. Modular sofas are another smart choice because they can be reconfigured into different shapes and can easily refresh the room without splurging on a whole new piece.
The materials you choose can completely change a room's feel. Abel explained that “shinier finishes look more formal than rustic or natural wood tones that give off a casual vibe.” For fabrics, Lucas sees mixed textures instead of matching everything. Popular choices include bouclé, which has a “supersoft sheepskin texture,” and “traditional mohair or velvet that's bolder and weightier but still soft and comfortable.”
Natural wood remains popular, especially white oak and walnut. “Walnut is a great way to do that and still have some personality in a space without it feeling too dark,” Lucas said.
The all-neutral trend is fading as homeowners embrace more personality in their spaces. “The all-white, all-cream trend is leaving in favor of more color and style,” Lucas said. She's seeing earth tones paired with bolder colors, especially olive green and burgundy orange. Meanwhile, the millennial gray is not as popular anymore.
You don't need to stick to one furniture style throughout your living room. In fact, mixing different pieces is trending. Abel calls this “transitional style” and points out it's natural for most homes. “Unless you redo your entire house in one specific style, all of your house will be different,” she said.
Abel encourages homeowners to trust their instincts. “You love what you love. Run with that as opposed to being afraid of not picking the right thing,” she said. “When you follow what you truly like, you'll start to notice patterns in your choices.”
Lucas recommends starting with a unifying element — a color, finish or texture — that appears in multiple pieces. This creates a connection while allowing variety. “You can pair a modern sofa with a vintage coffee table because they're not overpowering each other,” Lucas said. “You need a supporting actor and a piece of furniture that's the star of the show that goes well together.”
For major pieces like sofas, consider custom or modular options over ready-made furniture. “My answer is always going to be yes because you can customize it to you,” Lucas said. “If you have four kids and dogs, you have different priorities than a household with neither.” Custom pieces ensure proper fit and can include performance fabrics that handle daily life, she said. “You don't have to sacrifice comfort for design.”
To avoid furniture that quickly looks dated, Lucas suggests two approaches. First, choose what you truly love. “Oftentimes if someone is willing to choose what they love, they won't feel it's out of style,” she said. For those wanting to play it safe, stick with classic shapes and quality materials. “Sofas in a practical fabric and neutral color aren't going to go out of style quickly and can be accentuated with other pieces and colors to dress them up.”
Wood and stone have been around forever, so they're safe bets, Lucas added. You don't need to replace furniture to refresh your room. Abel notes that people are learning that adding accents can change a room in an impactful way that's inexpensive and easy. Both suggest using accent pillows or throw blankets that can be switched out when you're tired of them to update neutral furniture pieces.
Choosing living room furniture doesn't have to be stressful. Focus on comfort first, pick pieces that fit your space and lifestyle, and don't be afraid to mix styles and add personality. With thoughtful planning, you can create a living room that works for your daily life while reflecting your personal style.
